Hunter's ex-partner recounts meeting Joe Biden, claims family 'paranoid' about hiding former VP's involvement

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Bobulinski: Joe Biden claim he never talked business with son 'false'

Former business associate of Hunter Biden addresses media in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of second presidential debate

Hunter Biden's ex-business partner Tony Bobulinski claimed on Thursday that he met with former Vice President Joe Biden regarding his son's business dealings and alleged that someone involved with the controversy had warned him about coming forward.

"I was told this past Sunday by somebody who was also involved in this matter that if I went public, this information -- it would 'bury all of us, man,'" Bobulinski alleged in a statement Thursday night. 

Bobulinski went on to accuse the former vice president of lying about his involvement with his son's business dealings and claimed that the family sought to conceal his activities.

Specifically, Bobulinski alleges he met with the former vice president on May 2, 2017, and was introduced by his son Hunter and brother Jim.

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"At my approximately hour-long meeting with Joe that night we discussed the Bidens' history, the Bidens' family business plans with the Chinese, with which he was plainly familiar, at least at a high level," Bobulinski claimed.

Fox News previously obtained text messages from Bobulinski, a retired lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and the former CEO of SinoHawk Holdings, which he claimed was the partnership between the CEFC/Chairman Ye and the two Biden family members.

The messages seem to indicate that a meeting took place, though it's unclear what the substance of the meeting might have been. They are unrelated to the laptop or hard drive purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden. The text message chain was obtained after the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee requested documents related to Bobulinski’s business affairs with the Biden family. He provided the committees with the documents and Fox News also, separately, obtained those documents.

The meeting on May 2, 2017, would have taken place just 11 days before a May 13, 2017, email -- obtained by Fox News last week -- that included a discussion of “remuneration packages” for people in a business deal with a Chinese energy firm. The email appeared to identify Hunter Biden as "Chair/Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC," in an apparent reference to now-bankrupt CEFC China Energy Co.

However, according to separate emails obtained by Fox News, Bobulinski states there are no other members besides Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, Rob Walker, James Gillar and Anthony Bobulinski, regarding the shareholding structure, and records for all stages of company negotiations show no role for Joe Biden.

Bobulinkski's latest comments on Thursday came just before the final presidential debate, which President Trump invited him to attend. Fox News previously reported an email thread, initially released by the New York Post, which purportedly showed an equity split proposition that would benefit "the big guy," whom sources claimed was Joe Biden. 

According to the Post's reporting, the proposed equity split referenced “20” for “H” and “10 held by H for the big guy?” with no further details.

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"In that email, there is no question that 'H' stands for Hunter, 'big guy' for his father, Joe Biden, and Jim for Jim Biden," Bobulinski claimed Thursday.

"In fact, Hunter often referred to his father as the big guy or 'my chairman.' On numerous occasions, it was made clear to me that Joe Biden's involvement was not to be mentioned in writing but only face-to-face. In fact, I was advised by [James] Gillier and [Rob] Walker that Hunter and Jim Biden were paranoid about keeping Joe Biden's involvement secret."

However, according to separate emails obtained by Fox News, the "chairman" appears to refer to China.

Declining to take questions on Thursday night, Bobulinski presented three phones he claimed contained corroborating evidence. He added that he would be meeting with a Senate committee the following day.

The Biden campaign has said that it released the former vice president’s tax documents and returns, which do not reflect any involvement with Chinese investments.

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Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates told Fox News: “Joe Biden has never even considered being involved in business with his family, nor in any overseas business whatsoever. He has never held stock in any such business arrangements nor has any family member or any other person ever held stock for him.”

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Joe Biden has repeatedly denied that he has ever discussed Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings. Fox Business reporter Hillary Vaughn asked Joe Biden if he was willing to reiterate that stance in October 2019 after a photo surfaced of Biden on the golf course with Hunter and his another former business associate, Devon Archer.

“Yes, I stand by that statement,” Biden said at the time.

Fox News' Brooke Singman, Thomas Barrabi, John Roberts and Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.